This Father And Son Duo Paint Black Women As The Queens They Are, And The Results Are Amazing
"Seeing how my own mother carries herself helps me better convey how crowns are to be worn."
Meet Jeromyah Jones and his father, Jerome W. Jones Jr. These Richmond-based artists are paying tribute to the strong Black women in their lives and around the world with a series called "Reflections of the Black Queen."
Jeromyah Jones / CBS
Jeromyah told BuzzFeed that they have focused on painting not only the women they know, but the Black women we should ALL know, like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (the first woman president of Liberia) and Tayari Jones (the author of An American Marriage).
Jeromyah Jones/ Jerome W. Jones, Jr.
"This series shows the elegance, brilliance, and majesty of women whose gifts transform their environments," he said.
Jeromyah Jones/ Jerome W. Jones, Jr.
He explained that each woman's presence transformed "her surrounding that's local to look like a land that’s new and global."
Jeromyah Jones/ Jerome W. Jones, Jr.
Jeromyah said the series is deeply significant to him "because I know women have the power to influence society because they naturally gave birth to it. As artists, we believe that the way we paint them could shape how they are seen and how they see themselves."
Jeromyah Jones/ Jerome W. Jones, Jr.
He and his father share a deep hope that their art will "let women of all ages know that royalty is not restricted to inheritance, marriage, pageantry, possessions of palaces, or positions of power."
Jeromyah Jones/ Jerome W. Jones, Jr.
"These reflections of royalty from various generations of women were created to raise our level of respect for who they are," he continued.
Jeromyah Jones/ Jerome W. Jones, Jr.
He also revealed how his mom has influenced his art. "Seeing how my own mother carries herself helps me better convey how crowns are to be worn."
Jeromyah Jones/ Jerome W. Jones, Jr.
When asked what he hopes little girls see when they look at these paintings, Jeromyah responded, "We want them to know that 'The Beautiful One Has Come.'" That's the name of this painting and the title of a poem written by his father.
Jeromyah Jones/ Jerome W. Jones, Jr.
Here's the conclusion of the poem: "Women of generations/There’s love and veneration/Because of all you have done/The Beautiful One Has Come."